Machine for fixing keys on metal cans, by engaging said keys along a diameter of the cover under the edge of the cover crimping



P. SADA July 20, 1965 MACHINE FOR FIXING KEYS ON METAL CANS, BY ENGAGING SAID KEYS ALONG A DIAMETER OF THE COVER UNDER THE EDGE OF THE COVER CRIMPING 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 20, 1962 INVENTOR M7 I \\\\\\\& m w

W WM ATTORNEYS P. SADA 3,195,490 KEY N METAL S, BY ENGA I G A DI TER OF COVER UND OF THE COVER CRIMPING July 20, 1965 MACHINE FOR FIXING SAID KEYS ALONG THE EDGE Filed Dec. 20, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 WWM INVENTOR W O n A P. SADA MACHINE FOR FIXING KEYS ON METAL CANS, BY ENGAGING SAID KEYS ALONG A DIAMETER OF THE COVER UNDER THE EDGE OF THE COVER CRIMPING 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 20, 1962 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS July 20, 1965 P. SADA 3,195,490

MACHINE FOR FIXING KEYS 0N METAL CANS, BY ENGAGING SAID KEYS ALONG A DIAMETER OF THE COVER UNDER THE EDGE OF THE COVER CRIMPING Filed D60. 20, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 l d ATTORNEYS July 20, 1965 s 3,195,490

MACHINE FOR FIXING KEYS ON METAL CANS, BY ENGAGING SAID KEYS ALONG A DIAMETER OF THE COVER UNDER THE EDGE OF THE COVER GRIMPING Filed Dec. 20, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 MQM INVENTOR BY M 444 Ma Pm ATTORNEY J United States Patent 0 M MACHINE FGR FIXING KEY 0N METAL (IANS,

BY ENGAGING SAID KEYS ALGNG A BEAM- ETER OF THE CUVER UNDER THE EDGE UP THE EVER CRlMlPlNG Pietro Sada, Aprilia, Latina, Italy, assignor to lndustrie Verwertungsprodukte Anstalt, Vaduz, Liechtenstein Filed Dec. 20, 1962, Ser. No. 246,151 Claims priority, application Italy, Oct. 17, 1962, 77/ 253 6 Claims. (til. 113--1) The present invention relates to means for engaging the keys on hermetically sealed metal containers, such as the cans for preserved meat, and for foodstuffs generally, along a diameter of the cover, forcibly locating both ends of the keys against the edge of the crimping whereby the cover is connected to the can.

This invention can be applied to the tongue openable containers wherein the opening operation is carried out by removal of a narrow band of material located just below the can cover on the lateral surface of the can, and defined between two parallel scratches provided peripherally and which constitute a pre-established rupture line, and affords a substantial improvement with respect to the normal types of fastening of the keys, generally consisting in sticking the keys onto the cover by various putties or by welding, or by the addition of welding alloy, or by electrical spot welding.

The engaged key is held in its position by a slight upward narrowing of the edge of the crimping surrounding the cover, and by the elasticity of the open ring of the key.

This elasticity allows the keys to be located by the machine forming the object of the present invention, and also the removal of the key by acting upon its central zone by means of a lever, such as, the blade of a knife.

According to this invention a machine is provided consisting essentially of a base supporting a vertical shaft, which can rotate on bearings, and at the upper end of said shaft there is rigidly fiXCd two spaced circular platforms.

A set of 10 punches extend downwards from the upper platform, the axes of said punches being equispaced along a circular line.

Each punch consists of a set of three co-axial cylinders, the two external cylinders being rigidly fixed to the upper rotary platform, while the intermediate cylinder can freely glide between the two first cited cylinders. Said glidable cylinder has its lower edge suitably shaped so as to correspond to the upper crimping of the can cover, while the inner cylinder serves the purpose of pushing to its place the key when the can moves upwards upon the action of the upwards movement of its support as will be described later, overcoming the action of an opposing spring contained between the movable cylinder and the stationary cylinders.

The stationary cylinders serve the purpose of guiding the movable cylinder through its movements.

The lower platform, having the same dimensions of the first described platform, has, in register with the punches of the upper platform, a set of 10 holes with underlying guide sleeves within which can freely move the cylinders carrying at their tops the plates provided with a pattern compelling the can to remain on its correct position, and at the lower end a cross spindle on which idly rotates a roller. The latter rests on a contoured cam having a profile which is first rising and then descending, said cam being fastened to the base and compelling the roller, and thus the shaft, the plate, the pattern and the can to gradually rise, due to the rotation of the platform, until the inner cylinder rigid with the upper platform, acting against the key, removed in the meantime from the lower end of the stacking device as will be described later,

3,195,4 Patented July 20, 1965 from a removing finger, will have fallen through the slot located in register with each group of three cylinders of said platform, will locate the key over the cover of the can.

The key, falling from the aforesaid slot, will be located obliquely between the cover of the can and the lower edge of the inner stationary cylinder, as its length is slightly greater than the inner diameter of the crimping of the cover.

The can, in the meantime, continues its upward movement until the key is laid horizontally and becomes engaged between two opposite zones of the crimp of the cover.

The cycle will repeat for each 36 angular movevent of the shaft carrying the two platforms.

The rotational movement of the shaft is operated by an electric motor, having its shaft vertically arranged, and said shaft by means of two V belts drives a pair of pulleys, the larger of which is mounted on the platform carrying shaft.

The feeding of the keys in a first embodiment is obtained by means of a stacking device located at a corner of the base, near the inlet of the can into the machine. In said stacking device the keys are stacked fiat onto one another, so that all the rings will be at the same side.

The stacking device consists of a guide similar to the profile of the key, which holds the latter in its proper position.

Two guides are actually provided so that while one of them is operative to feed the keys to the machine, the other can be in the meantime, loaded by the operator. The operation of the machine will not have dwells as when the contents of a guide have been entirely discharged, and said guide will be moved by means of a suit able lever, while the loaded guide will reach its position.

During this movement, a reservoir located under the operative guide, is provided for supplying the machine, said reservoir containing a number of keys sufiicient to satisfy the machine during the time necessary for replacing the emptied guide by the filled one.

The removal of a key from the aforesaid reservoir, at each 36 of rotation of the upper platform, is carried out by means of a set of 10 removing fingers, each of which is fixed between two subsequent slots along the same circle, so as to cause the removal of the lowest key of the stack and the fall thereof into the slot next preceding the finger in the direction of rotation. By gravity the key removed from the reservoir is replaced by another key.

The cans reach the machine coming from a gravity guide to which the cans arrive by a rolling movement, and then the cans pass into a twist device which places said cans with their axes vertical, and in this position said cans glide onto the lower rotary platform of the machine, where said cans are taken after one another by one of the 10 patterns fixed on the upper part of the plate supported by the aforedescribed cam.

A ter an almost complete rotation, the cans with the keys engaged in their covers are directed towards another twist device which locates said cans with their axes horizontal, and then said cans will roll along a gravity guide towards the packaging operation.

In the feeding of the keys in a second embodiment, the stacking device consists of a single oblique guide where the keys are located after one another by the operator so that their rings will rest on two guide rods which will direct the keys up to their inlet into the slot of the upper platform of the key fixing machine.

' The supply to the guide device is obtained quickly and continuously as the operator has only to push the keys when removing the same from a metal strip threaded into the rings of said cans when manufactured.

This invention will be more particularly described with reference to the attacheddrawings showing in a nonlimitative diagrammatical way, one preferred embodi ment of the machine according to this inventiont In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 represents a vertical sectional view 'of the V machine taken along a plane passing through its axis of rotation; I r e i r FIGURE 2 shows a vertical sectionallview of an onlarged detail of the three concentrical cylinders with the key inclined before its engagement and in dotted line after said engagement with two opposite zones of the crimping of the cover; a 7

FIGURE 3 shows in top plan view the machine with the inlet and the outlet of the can and in one corner the base of the support stand for either vices;

FIGURE 4 shows an enlarged sectional view takenalong section AA" of FIG; 3, passing through the axis of rotation of the machine and shows one of the removfirg fingers located between two sequential slots of theupper platform, said finger removing by its projecting part the lowest key from the stacking device and causing saidkey to fall into the next preceding slot towards the direction of rotation;

FIGURE 5 shows a lateral view, of the vertical stack j ing device in a first embodiment;

FIGURE 6 shows a top plan view of the lower portion of FIG. 5, located under section line B-B of FIG. 5;

FIGURE 7 shows a top plan. view of that portion of FIG. 5 which is abovethe part shown in FIG. 6, the

guides being removed; V i d I FIGURE 8 is a top plan'view of the guides of FIG. 5; FEGURE 9 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the detail of the position of a key between the guides as shown in FIG.'8; I

FIGURE 10 shows in lateral elevation the. oblique stacking device of a second embodiment;

FIGURE 11 shows a cross sectional view of FIG. 10 taken along section line CC of FIG. 10; 7

FIGURE 12 shows a detailof the guide of FIG. 10 as seen from D;

FIGURE 13 shows a cross sectional view taken at right angles to the guide of FIG. 10 along the section line E--E, the position of the keys being indicated;

FIGURE 14 shows a perspective view of one portion of the metal strip threaded into the rings of some keys,

as said keys are inserted into the stacking device by the operator; e

of the stacking devertically glide, however without rotating as restrained by thefillets l5.

' isffirst-rising'and then descending so that, due to the rotation of the shafte and ofthe platform 13 rigidly f-rnounted thereon, the rollers moving along the upper side of said cam 21 cause the pistons 16 and the plates 17 with the patterns 18 to follow a vertical'reciprocating 'movement. 7 V

Each of the aforesaid punches 12 consists of three coaxial cylinders the outer 12' and the inner 22 of which (as shown also in FIG. 2)'are fixed to the rotary platform 11, while the intermediate cylinder 23 can freely glide between the two. first cited cylinders, and is downwardly pushed by a helical spring 24. V

For clearness of description, the complete working cycle of a single can will be hereinafter described.

7 The sealed and sterilized can, ready fo.r fixing the key, reaches the machine by rolling along a gravity guide 26 v(FIG. 3); passing through the twist device 27 the can is I located vertically by 90 rotation, and then by a gliding moment willbe at its lowest position. i

.The pattern 18, surrounding the can will conduct it movement'the can reac'hes'the plate 17 which at this during its rotational movement, while,-due to the action of the contoured cam 21, of the roller 2%) and of the piston '16, the plate 11 will be moved upwardly.

' After a certainrotational movement, the edge 25' of the can 25 (FIG; 2) will be inserted into the lower contoured end 23' of the moveable cylinder 23 and the can will deplace upwardly said cylinder, overcoming the action of the spring 24. 7

At the moment of said insertion, akey 28 taken, as

described later, will fall into thecylinder 23 (FIG. 2)

the figure, as it is' slightly and will be located in an oblique position, as shown in longer than the inner diameter of the cylinder;

The roller 20 continuing its travelalong the upper race of the cam 21 will reach the highest-point thereof FIGURE 15 shows the top plan view of the can'with the key inserted between two opposite zones of the crimping of the cover;

FIGURE 16 shows a vertical cross sectional view of 7 FIG. 15 through the axis of the can with parts in elevation. a

With reference to the drawings, and particularly, to.

and at this'mornent also the can 25 will have reached the end of its vertical stroke and by its edge 25 said can will havepushed upwardly the movable cylinder 23 until the lower end 22' of'the stat-ionary inner cylinder 22 will have compelled the key '28 to be located horizontally and to become engaged between two diamet- FIGURES l, 2 and 3, the mechanical uniticomprises r abase 1 to thelower portion of which is fastened an electric motor 2 having a vertical shaft which ;by means ,of

two grooved pulleys 3 and 4 and a pairro'f V belts 5 drives the rotationalrmovement of the mainshaft'fi of the machine. H a I Said shaft 6 rests on' two bearings 7 and 8 supported by a hollow shaft 9 external 'to the shaftf and welded to the platform 10 of the base 1. a

tion, a rotary platform 11 from the periphery of which extend downwards a set of ten cylindrical punches 12 the vertical axesof which are equispaced along the same circle concentrical with the axis X X of the machine,

On the shaft 6 is rigidly mounted, at its upper OI- rically opposite zones of the crimping of the cover of the can 25 and this is due to the elasticity. given the key by its open' ring. e

v The key, when'engaged will remain fixed in this position'due tothe slightly conical shape of the crimping.

After the engagement of the key has been carried out, the can25 continuing its rotational movement will start lowering due to, the downwards slope of the upper race of the 'cam721, until reaching the direction device 29, the twist device fail-and the guide 31 the can is guided 'to the packaging operation. f

, The key 28 'is taken from the loaded stacking device a by a finger, 32 (FIGS. 3' and 4); a set consisting of 10 of the'machin'eQand on said circle fall also the axes of fingers is equispacedalong a circle coaxial with the axis the pistons 12.

I In the intervals comprised between two subsequent fingers always with their intermediate lines contained ,within said circle, ten slots 33 are provided in the surface.

, of; the disc 11, the size of said slots being suificient to permit the passage of one key in horizontal position. The key 28 (the lowestof thestack) is taken by the finger 32, and the said key falls through said slot 33 upon the upwards movement of the can.

The finger 32 is rigid with the platform 11; and projects over the surface of said platform through an amount slightly less than the thickness of a key, and the latter is hit by said finger, removed and caused to fall through the slot 33 which is the next preceding the finger towards the direction of rotation of the platform, so as to fall into the cylinder 23 as shown in FIG. 2.

Stacking device-First embodiment This stacking device (FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9) is supported by the platform 10 rigid with the base 1 of the machine, by means of a stand 34 (FIGS. 3 and 5).

Said stacking device consists of a sleeve 35 which is held for the upper portion of the stand by acting upon the two locking levers 36; this sleeve extends sidewards by an extension 37 which supports a little complementary reservoir 38 capable of containing an amount of keys sufiicient to feed the machine during the time interval necessary for replacing the empty guide by another guide filled with keys.

The lever 39 allows the level adjustment of the outlet plane of the keys from the reservoir 38 with respect to the upper surface of the platform 11.

The reservoir 38 is continuously fed by one of the overlying guides 4t) (or 41) which are applied to a slide 42 which can freely move on a platform 43, by means of a lever 44, so as to insert in register with the reservoir 38, either of said guides.

The guides 49 and 41 consist essentially of two metal sheet angular shapes 45 and a round rod 46 surrounding the profile of the keys 28 so as to hold same always at their correct position.

The feeding of the keys within the operative guide is carried out by gravity, while for preventing the other keys inserted into the inoperative guide from being discharged, a lateral tooth 47 exists which will be suitably moved, by acting on the lever 48, only when the guide will have to be carried into operation.

The angular shapes 45 and 45' of the guides 40 and 41 connected by the U-shaped bridge 50 can rotate through 90 on the platform 13 by means of the hinges 49 in order to facilitate the loading of the keys which otherwise would be difiicult for the operator, due to the level of the upper mouth of the guides.

Stacking device-Second embodiment This stacking device, (FIGS. 10, 11, 12, 13), similar to that previously described, is supported by the platform 3% rigid with the base 1 of the machine by means of a stand 34- (FIGS. 3 and 10).

The device consists of a bored block 51 which is applied to the upper end of the stand 34 and fixed thereto by a locking member. On said block is hingedly mounted a fork element 52 at one end of which is mounted a block 53 with a groove 54 reproducing the slightly enlarged contour of the key.

In the lower portion of the block 53 there is a reversed U guide 55 compelling the key leaving the stacking device as taken by the rotary finger 32 to fall into the slot 33. In the reversed U guide 55 there is a little aperture 56 allowing the finger 32 to freely move during its rotation.

The guide 57 consists essentially of three round rods, of which two 58 are in the upper position, parallel and close to one another, while the third rod 59 serves the purpose of stiffening the two first cited rods to which it is connected by the bridge element 60.

The feeding is carried out by gravity by introducing the keys into the upper mouth 61 of the guide 57, so that the keys will rest as shown in FIG. 13 so that by gliding said keys will reach the mouth of the block 53 and due to the final helical shape of the rods 58 said keys will be positioned horizontally.

In FIG. 14 it has been shown in perspective view how the keys 28 are supplied by the manufacturer. More specifically, into the key rings a metal strip will be inserted rendering thus easy the insertion of the keys into the mouth 5% of the first embodiment, and 61 of the second embodiment. Obviously, as the keys enter into the stacking device, the metal strip will be removed from the opposite side.

FIGS. 15 and 16 show in top plan view and in sectional vertical View, respectively, how the upper portion 25 of the can appears, with the key 28 fixed between two diametrically opposite portions of the cover crimping.

Obviously, the described system of a machine for fixing the keys can be embodied for containers having any dimension and shape.

The present invention has been described in certain preferred embodiments thereof, but it is understood that constructive changes could be practically adopted without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A machine for attaching keys to metal cans by securing said keys between two diametrically opposite crimping Zones of the cover of the cans, comprising in combination a base, an electric motor mounted on said base having a vertical drive shaft, a first pulley secured to said shaft, 21 platform connected to said base above said first pulley, a hollow shaft fixed to said platform and passing through said platform, a driven shaft extending through said hollow shaft, bearing means rotatably supporting said driven shaft within said hollow shaft, a second pulley on the lower end of said driven shaft, means coupling said first pulley with said second pulley, a first rotary disc fixed to said driven shaft, a second rotary disc fixed to said driven shaft above said first disc, a plurality of punches secured to the lower face of said second rotary disc and angularly equispaced on a circle coaxial with the axis of said driven shaft, said first rotary disc having a like plu rality of bores in register with said punches, pistons slidably arranged in said bores, can supporting plates secured to the upper ends of said pistons, followers rotatably secured to the lower end of said pistons, a cam fixed to said platform to cooperate with said followers to move said pistons and said can supporting plates upwardly towards said punches means for supplying a key to said punches and the covers of cans located on said supporting plates, said upward movement of said can supporting plates causing engagement of said punches by said can covers wherein said key is secured by two diametrically opposite crimping zones, means for removing cans with keys attached thereto and means for supplying cans to be provided With keys.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said punches comprises two coaxial cylinders rigidly fixed to said second rotary disc and arranged with a free annular space therebetween, an intermediate cylinder freely slidable in said annular space in correspondence With the upward and downward movement of said follower on said cam and having its lower edge shaped to adapt to the upper edge of the can cover, a coil spring arranged in said annular space between said coaxial cylinders, whereby upon upward movement of one of said can supporting plates due to the pushing action of its associated piston the key supplied to the can by said key supplying means is forced by the inner one of said coaxial cylinders into its position on the can cover between said opposite crimping zones of the can edge.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for supplying the keys comprises a stacking device arranged on said base, means for stacking said keys in said stacking device in flat location above one another so as to have all the rings of said keys at the same side, said stacking means comprising two guides surrounding the profile of the keys to hold said keys, means for alternating said two guides in their operation so that while one of them is supplying the keys to the machineg the other guide Will be charged by the operator to obtain a continuous operation of the machine so that when a guide has been emptied,

the'second filled guide Will replace the emptied first guide; 7 4.- A machine as claimed in claim 3 Wherein dur-ing the V period 'of time'necessary for said replacement in said stacking device of the filled guide for the empty one, 'a' reservoir is provided with keys under said operating guide,

said reservoir containing a number of keys sufficient to supply the machine during said replacement period; 7 5. A machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein keys are taken one at a time from said reservoir, upon a predeter mined rotational movement of said second rotary disc 7 being immediately-replaced by 1 a tvvist device for changing the horizontal direction of the can axis to the vertical direction and a pattern fixed to the upper face of each of said plates for removing the cans from said first rotary disc onto which the cans'aresupplied by means of a set of removing fingers, said second rotary i disc having a plurality of spaced concentric slots, each of said fingers'being fixedbetween two adjacent slots along the same circle to remove the lowest key'of the stack and to cause said key to fall by gravity into the slot preceding the finger in the direction of rotatiomthe key removed and for holding the cans on said platesr References Cited by the Enaminer UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,985,863 12/34 Kronguest 113-1 1,985,864 12/34 Kronguest 1l31 2,070,568 2/37 Almgren 113l 2,315,526 4/43 Jordan 113-1 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MACHINE FOR ATTACHING KEYS TO METAL CANS BY SECURING SAID KEYS BETWEEN TWO DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE CRIMPING ZONES OF THE COVER OF THE CANS, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A BASE, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR MOUNTED ON SAID BASE HAVING A VERTICAL DRIVE SHAFT, A FIRST PULLEY SECURED TO SAID SHAFT, A PLATORM CONNECTED TO SAID BASE ABOVE SAID FIRST PULLEY, A HOLLOW SHAFT FIXED TO SAID PLATFORM AND PASSING THROUGH SAID PLATFORM, A DRIVEN SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID HOLLOW SHAFT, BEARING MEANS ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID DRIVEN SHAFT WITHIN SAID HOLLOW SHAFT, A SECOND PULLEY ON THE LOWER END OF SAID DRIVEN SHAFT, MEANS COUPLING SAID FIRST PULLEY WITH SAID SECOND PULLEY, A FIRST ROTARY DISC FIXED TO SAID DRIVEN SHAFT, A SECOND ROTARY DISC FIXED TO SAID DRIVEN SHAFT ABOVE SAID FIRST DISC, A PLURALITY OF PUNCHES SECURED TO THE LOWER FACE OF SAID SECOND ROTARY DISC AND ANGULARLY EQUISPACED ON A CIRCLE COAXIAL WITH THE AXIS OF SAID DRIVEN SHAFT, SAID FIRST ROTARY DISC HAVING A LIKE PLURALITY OF BORES IN REGISTER WITH SAID PUNCHES, PISTONS SLIDRABLY ARRANGED IN SAID BORES , CAN SUPPORTING PLATES SECURED TO THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID PISTONS, FOLLOWERS ROTABLY SECURED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID PISTONS, A CAM FIXED TO SAID PLATFORM TO COOPERATE WITH SAID FOLLOWERS TO MOVE SAID PISTONS AND SAID CAN SUPPORTING PLATES UPWARDLY TOWARDS SAID PUNCHES, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A KEY TO SAID PUNCHES AND THE COVERS OF CANS LOCATED ON SAID SUPPORTING PLATES, SAID UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID CAN SUPPORTING PLATES CAUSING ENGAGEMENT OF SAID PUNCHES BY SAID CAN COVERS WHEREIN SAID KEY IS SECURED BY TWO DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE CRIMPING ZONES, MEANS FOR REMOVING CANS WITH KEYS ATTACHED THERETO AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING CANS TO BE PROVIDED WITH KEYS. 